My Angel
by 14tara14
Summary: "There is only one way to stop him completely" she said, still not answering fully "And that is?" I asked, though I felt I already knew. A sickening feeling started to form in the pit of my stomach. The slight flash of regret in Desde's eyes confirmed it; when she spoke there was no emotion, they were just words, yer they pierced my like a dagger. "you must kill him"
1. Chapter 1

**Epilogue **

Once upon a time there was a girl, a girl that lived a life feeling alone and unwanted. Her mother, the CEO of an international corporation for communication regarding the military, considered her as nothing more than an agonizing reminder after the departure of her husband, and blamed her for everything. Her father, at one time the manifestation of love and happiness, now nothing more than a painful memory of abandonment and betrayal. This girl lived in a house of exquisite quality, a house built for a princess. Yet, within those marble walls she was nothing more than a prisoner, a prisoner of her own loneliness and self loathing, whom dreamed of a life with her father again. She lived in a world that was slowly being eaten away by a deadly virus, a plague that was on the verge of wiping the very existence of mankind from the face of the earth forever. A virus so powerful that not even the smartest scientists across the nation could do anything to hinder its deadly strike. The virus was named the reaper, because it was a force that no one could escape from. However, amongst the hatred in her life, she was offered a deal by a divine creature. Should she fulfill the contract given to her by this being, she would be given back the one thing she wanted most, her father. But before the quest can be carried out, there must first be a question the girl must answer. Is the prize worth the price that must be paid…?

. . . Once upon a time there was a boy, a boy that lived a life filled with love and encouragement. His mother, a house wife, cherished him from the moment he was born. Doing everything she could to make sure he grew up to be a well educated gentleman, refined and happy in every sense of the word. His father, a highly sought out lawyer, strived for his son to follow in his footsteps, pushing him to be the best he could be. This boy lived in a house of an upper classmen, filled with the luxuries of servants and the glow of a happy family. Nevertheless, there was a weight that dragged in his heart, the feeling of loneliness and the wanting to find his place in the world encased him in an invisible net of black. He dreamed of being a soldier fighting in the war, taking down Germany, and protecting his home and family like a true man should. But as time went on he met a girl, a girl that altered his every dream, and filled his entire heart, shredding the net and bringing a light into his life he had never known was missing. The dreams he once had of being a soldier, were replaced with the fantasies of a long life with her by his side. His heart once empty now filled with the melody of her sweet, sweet music she brought into his life. However, try as he might fate had other plans, and as close as she was she would forever remain out of his reach, no matter how far he stretched…

This is a story of a boy and a girl, both fighting for what they want. This is a story of a boy that falls deeply in love with a girl, a girl that is fated to be his death. This is my story.

Now, if you're looking for a fairy tale ending, I suggest you look somewhere else, for you will find none here. There are no godmothers with magic wands, no good always triumphs over evil, and there is no riding into the sunset with the prince and princess on a gallant steed. Reality is not as kindhearted as fairy tales make one believe. Reality is filled with deceit, tears, and pain. But you're probably already aware of this. But then again, I suppose I'm being a little unfair, since reality has its own soft spots where happiness and joy can exist. After all, that person was one of them, and whether it was by fates manipulative hands, or a random turn of events that was pieced together stitch by stitch, I don't care, because it brought that person into my life. Who knows who I would have been if not for that day so long ago. . .

I'm sorry, it seems I'm getting ahead of myself at the moment, and I should probably start at the beginning.

… Well, here we go…

This is the beginning of a story; a beginning I had not known existed until the very end. . . .

. . . Light pours in from everywhere and nowhere, reflecting off everything and nothing. The purest of glows, the softest of touches, and the sweetest of scents all reverberate throughout.

Figures of white walk with silent steps. Speaking in whispers, and hearing more then what is spoken. A windless breeze glides past always, carrying behind it the gentle hum of security.

These lands portray the beauty of simplicity, and the heart of serenity. These lands are the heavens that house the angels.

Now they stand in a gathering. Solemn looks are passed from one to the other. Wings rustle and twitch. Eyes shift restlessly. The importance of the decision being made is vital, and depending on the outcome, the very force that will tip the scale of the balance of humanity towards either prosperity, or annihilation.

"I say we have waited long enough, we must act now." The voice of one breaks the silence, and like a dam the flood of voices all rise up, all agreeing, and at the same time at odds with the other.

"It is too soon..."

"The girl isn't ready yet…"

"Humanity can't wait much longer; time is a luxury we don't have…"

"The humans must learn to fix this…"

"The human's way of fixing things is by squabbling with one another over useless politics…"

"We must give them a chance…"

"They have already had their chance…"

"Enough." The simple command is softly spoken, but it rises above the others, silencing all. Every head turns towards the speaker.

Like all the others, this speaker has no defined face, no true set being. The form in which it resides in is dictated by the very essence of the soul. It's kind of like a foggy outline of a person, a clear and yet cloudy mists that wraps around the body like a second skin, were the colors and light represent our true nature, shinning for all to see. It is a true beauty, a beauty not constructed by vain and physical properties, but by the properties of the mind, heart and soul. There are no titles in this realm; the people here have no need of them. Titles and positions of society are all human inventions, useless inventions created through greed and narcissism. However, the humans have given this being a title. In fact, this being has many, and is said to be older then time itself and the very creator of all life as humans know it. And even though titles and petty hierarchies hold no ground in heaven, all of the angels hold a high level of respect for this being. The speaker's word, although holding no more position then all the others, holds an air of wisdom that is rarely challenged.

"Time is indeed slipping away" the speaker continues, her voice growing sad and regretful. "And while it's true that the girl is still not ready, I fear we simply have no choice."

"My lady, there must be another way" the pleading voice of Melody speaks up, her body is small, a child's body. Although no form of a child's mind resides in her any longer, in her eyes sparkle the wisdom of a young lady, fully grown. "Please, there must be another way" she continues. "To send her in now could mean failure! The world will be doomed!"

"Should we wait any longer, it will be"

"I don't understand my lady; don't we still have a year before the virus becomes a true threat? We still have a few more months before we have to really act. Maybe the humans will find a cure by then and we won't have to use her."

"We could. However, there is another turn of events that has now made that choice vanish."

"What event would that be my lady?" This time it is an older gentleman that speaks up, his wrinkled skin even more creased with worry and stress.

"The girls existence and purpose is no longer known to just us. Hell has found her, and if we don't act soon, Hell will take her." The silence that follows her words rings sharp, no one moves. The implication of Hell discovering and controlling her is dire, and would mean the end to humanity. Small salt drops of water slip silently down Melodies cheeks. Her shoulders shake slightly, her sadness only just barely being contained by sheer will. "B-bb-ut there m-must be ann-o-ther way, there must! Please, can't you do anything? You gave birth to this world, to humans! Can't you do anything to stop them?"Melody sinks to her knees; the silver blue glow that surrounds her slowly dims, shriveling to a blurry gray. Her wings wilted across her back. The elder gentleman that had spoken before gently sinks down beside her and hugs the child to his chest, softly stroking her honey brown hair with his hand.

"You forget, young Melody" she begins while slowly walking over to the child, gently pulling her chin up so there eyes could meet, "that I have no more power then you in these matters. Do not misguide yourself with false superstitions of Earth. While it is true that I breathed life into this universe, into the earth and all its creations to give life is all I am meant to do. I am no puppet master with strings attached to all living things to manipulate at will. That is a concept created by humanity to place blame when things go wrong, and to dislodge responsibility in one's own life and actions. I cannot intervene at will into their lives, their choices are there's to make, just as the outcomes that follow are the way of life. Don't you think that If I could I would not leave my children to starve as many of them do…" her voice grew desperate, pleading with them to understand. "… Don't you think I would stop all the violence, the wars, the pain? That I would end the suffering of my children and my children's children?" tears start to prickle her eyes, but still she keeps going. "But I can't. I can only give life, not dictate it, and certainly not destroy it. That is why we make children of prophecies. So that should a situation get desperate we can intervene, so we can help. But even to make one it takes a hundred angels a hundred years of incantations and concentration to give birth to these children to place on earth… I don't like using them anymore then you do, but we have no choice…" she trailed off, wiping the tears that had fallen, looking into the eyes of all.

"But we can help her can't we? We can do more than just throw her into the mess; we can guide her and assist her right?" Melody whispered, desperately grasping her ladies hands. She smiled at Melody and rose to her feet once more.

"Of course we can, and we will. We will help her as much as we can without crossing our limits. I have trained a specific angel to be her guardian while on her travels, she will do everything she can to protect her."

"Then shall we vote now?" asked the elder.

"We vote now" she agreed.

"I vote we send her in at once" shouted Melody rising from the ground, determination set like stone into her features.

"I second the vote" agreed the elder

"Does anyone object to sending her in?" asked there lady, glancing around the assembly of angels, and seeing the same set features of determination as present in Melody.

"No" they all replied unanimously.

"Then send for the guardian angel of Bella Swan, and tell her of our decision, and let us hope that we are not too late."

Hey everyone I hope you enjoyed my first installment of this story. This is my first Fan faction and I'm not sure if I wanted to post this story or not. If you like what you see please comment and tell me and I will post more. I've already written half of this out and have the other half planned out. If there are things you don't like please tell me and I will see what I can do to fix or explain. I value brutal honesty so don't hold back because I'm a first timer!


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: And the story continues… just a reminder this is a first time go, I have altered certain characteristics of each character to fit my story better so please don't freak out when you see them.**

**P.S. twilight is not mine, it belongs to Stephanie Meyer, I'm just borrowing some characters for a bit of fun : P **

Chapter 1

Washington, April 18th, 2019

_**Bella**_

"Disgusting... what a disgrace you have turned out to be" The woman's voice although calm and smooth, stung sharp, like the pain of thousands of tiny paper cuts. Her soulless brown eyes bore into mine with a smothering abhorrence. Nothing but empty disgust radiated from them. I waited for the ranting to stop, cutting off all emotion from my face. I was a stone wall at that moment, a wall that would not be penetrated no matter how vicious the strike.

"I've worked hard for my station in life, and I expect my daughter to follow the path I have set for her and not waist her life with meaningless nonsense. Your violin playing ends here, do you hear me!?"

I just stared, and watched as her long brown hair swished from side to side. Her tight blue business suit was crumpled, the knee length skirt slightly ridding up from her pacing back and forth in my room.

"Also, no more designing these frilly disgusting things you call dresses! What century are these even from anyways, the stone age? No self respecting woman would be caught dead in this ancient garbage."

Her hands grabbed one of the gowns I had just finished making from the 1900's, it was made of purple and black silk. The neckline went straight across the chest, hanging partly on the shoulders. The sleeves extending out and bunched at the wrists while extending over the center finger. On the center of the sleeves on the back of the hand was a black stone, with a matching one in the middle of the chest. The bodice was corset style with black ribbons tied in bows on each side of the hip. It was a ball gown, one I had spent months creating with fine detail by hand.

Now it lay in the hands of that _woman_.

My fists slightly tightened in my lap, my nails biting the skin of my palms. The way she looked at my dress was the look one normally gives to sewage rats, it was sickening. Her hands tightened on the fabric, a sudden gleam entered her eyes that made me inwardly cringe. It was like looking into the eyes of the devil, they were demonic and wild. A twisted smile framed her lips.

The sound of ripping fabric pierced me; what had once been a work of art now lay in scraps on the floor.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip all that hair from her head, there was nothing she valued more than her appearance.

I didn't move though, my dome of stone relinquished no indication of the storm thrashing inside of it.

After she finished with the dress, her eyes became fixated on me once more.

"It's high time you started acting like a Swan!" her face was now a mere cm from mine.

I didn't falter.

"That means no more playing the violin, and no more of this useless designing!"She grabbed my shoulders. Her polished manicured nails embedded themselves into my clothes, piercing the flesh.

It hurt, but I refused to show it.

"I am the CEO of a very important corporation, and if you haven't noticed we are facing a critical situation at the moment. This virus is getting serious, and I don't need to be wasting my energy and time on you when I should be using it to figure out how to stop it." She continued "do you have any idea how much pressure I'm facing? How thin a thread I'm walking on? One wrong step and I'm finished! I refuse to let a foolish mistake like you ruin all my hard work, got it!" she started to shake me, her nails dug further in, blood was drawn.

My throat started to tighten. The familiar throb becoming more and more unpleasant, my eyes stung with the strain of keeping them dry. I would not cry, I told myself. I would NOT cry!

She then tossed me to the ground, but before leaving she looked at me, the hatred subsiding into hollow grief and allegation. She always looked years older when she looked at me that way. I could feel my shield crack; I could handle the screaming, the hatred, but not the blame. I knew what she was going to say next, but just because I was prepared for it didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"You're the reason" she whispered, her lip trembled. "We were happy, just the two of us. Then I had you, and now he's gone." she turned away from me then, shutting the door and locked it behind her.

I remained frozen in place, I just couldn't move.

The faint stomps faded into nothing, it was silent for a moment until the rev of an engine could be heard screeching out of the garage.

It was only then that I moved, slightly shifting my body so I was lying on my stomach. My hands griped the cool sheets from my bed with my head buried in the carpet.

It was only then, in the silence of an empty house that I finally allowed the tears to fall, and my shield to shatter. My body shook with the force of my tears.

_Worthless mistake… _

Is that all I really am, just a mistake to her?

_You're the reason_

The reason… am I?

I remember a time when it wasn't always like that. When she cared and loved me like a true daughter. Back when dad was still here… I remember her smiling at me, I remember being happy… happy…I hardly remember what that word even means anymore. After all, if we were truly happy why did he abandon us? Why did he leave! No goodbye, no warning! Was I really such a horrible daughter to him that he just couldn't stand to be near me any longer?

Sometimes I imagine him leaving, what it would have looked like… would he hesitate and look back? Or just simply walk out with a suitcase in hand, detached and uncaring, just ready to move on with his life. Did he think about me? About taking me with him? Or was I just something that could easily be replaced…easily left behind… easily forgotten…

I don't know how long I stayed in that position on the floor, my thoughts running wild like a herd of horses racing through the fields. It felt like hours before I slowly dragged myself up to a sitting position, wrapping my arms around my legs, hugging them to my chest.

My hair stuck to my face, the tears had stopped for the moment, leaving me feeling empty.

Maybe that's why she hated me…why her love for me altered the moment he left. I'm the reason he left, the reason she lost the man she loved. I'm the reason her perfect world fell into ruins.

Slowly, wincing at the stiffness caused by staying still for so long, I got up and walked over to my desk with the golden trimmed mirror, sitting down on the matching stool I studied the reflection that stared back at me. My long brown hair was slightly messed, yet the strands still fell in delicate waves down to the center of my back. My skin looked pale, but that was no surprise, I was always pale. Many said it made me look pretty but I disagree, I looked dead.

Gazing into my reflections eyes I see a hollow pit, the brown a lifeless void deprived of all light. Vaguely, I remember how dad use to tell me that when I smiled, my eyes would glow with the warmth of spring, peering into them now I couldn't help but be doubtful.

Looking into these eyes I only see my mother looking back.

It frightened me.

What purpose do I even have on this earth? I'm nothing to her, I'm nothing to everyone. If I were to die or vanish it would be a relief for the world, one less body to take up space and pollute the air with every breath. Maybe… if I died, would that make her happy? It would be what she always wanted after all, me out of the way and out of her life.

"You're wrong"

I whirled around, toward the voice and came face to face with the most beautiful and divine being I had ever seen.

Her eyes were black as a panther's fur, with smooth black hair to match. Red crimson flakes streaked along the strands, making her hair look alive. Her frame was petite and childlike, but she held herself with a sense of pride and wisdom befitting one of many years. She wore a silken egg white gown, with snake scaled patters that shimmered with every sweeping movement of her body.

"Who are you?" I whispered

"My name is Desde" her voice was strong and laced with power and confidence; slowly she sauntered over to me, each step gliding like skates on ice.

"What do you want?" I asked, while swiftly molding my mask back into place.

"You"

"_Me_?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because…" her voice dropped to a sad and gentle tone "you are the only one that can help me"

There was not a single shred of doubt. It was a simple fact, a fact that seemed to me very unlikely. After all, what could I, a worthless nothing, do to help someone such as her?

"You're wrong" she whispered again, a small smile framing her perfect lips. "You my child, are not worthless at all, you are a rare gem blessed with a destiny that will help all should you choose to undertake my task." By now she stood right in front of me, her winter white hand softly brushing against my cheek; it felt soft like satin but cold. The pureness of her white skin did not look dead like mine, only fresh, such as new fallen snow in the dawn shimming in the glow of the rising sun.

"How do you do that?" I demanded, pulling my face away from her gentle touch, masking my wonder with anger and mistrust.

"Easy, I'm an angel." Oh great… I've just been invaded by a loon. Her laughter startled me; her eyes sparkled with mirth and a tad of frustration while she shook her head and stepped back.

"I'm not a loon my dear, I really am an angel. Your angel in fact, sent here to help you."

"Help me with what, exactly?" I asked playing along, slowly moving my right hand under my desk towards the knife I kept hidden.

"Now is that really necessary Miss Swan" the _angel _asked as she snapped her figures, the hilt of the blade that I had just grasped vanished and reappeared hovering above her right palm. The blade twirled slowly. I stood frozen in place, the mask crumbled with raw fear taking its place.

What the hell is this thing!

"Now that's not very nice" she scolded, the humor leaving her immediately. The blade dropped from the air into her waiting hand; deftly she fiddled with the blade, twisting it right and left, her eyes never leaving mine. "I already told you, my name is Desde and I am an angel. If you want to be precise I am an angel of prophecy. Sent out to locate and aid prophets in their destinies."

I tried to move farther back away from it, but almost immediately my back hit the desk and I was stuck were I was.

"Still don't believe me?" she said in frustration, throwing the dagger onto my bed. "What must I do to verify that I am real so that we may continue on instead of going around in this pointless circle?"

"Um…grow wings maybe?"

"fine" and with that said an electrifying red and white light filled the room, rendering me blind until it cleared revealing two perfectly white wings perched on her back. Seeing them, watching them flutter and twitch like a living part of her, I finally accepted that this was real, that the woman standing in front of me was in fact, an angel.

"Finally! Now we're getting somewhere" the angel exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air for dramatic effect, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Now that you finally believe me, can we get down to business, or do you want to waist more time with your denial?"

"Uh…um… n-no I'm good, you can talk now…"

"Wonderful!" she smiled, walking over to my bed and sitting down. "Now let's get down to business. The reason I am here is because you, Bella Swan, are a prophet whom is ready to complete the task you were born to do."

"I don't understand" I replied meekly "how can I be a prophet? I'm just me. I can't do anything, I have no special gifts or talents… what can I possibly do that could help _you_?"

"You're far too hard on yourself" she said, looking at me with tender eyes "you're capable of so much. Never doubt that."

Her eyes held me like a trap, paralyzed like a bird caught in the stare of a cobra.

"What is it you want me to do" I finally whispered, closing my eyes and dropping my head. My hair fell like a curtain around me, hiding me from her endless eyes.

I felt her hand lightly brush me hair away from my face, gently pulling my chin up to her level. The way she looked at me made me feel instantly calm, the warmth of it flowed through my body melting the uneasiness and doubt.

"Listen carefully my dear, I will explain this once and then you will give me your answer on whether or not you accept. Does that sound fair?"

I nodded; the pull of her eyes held me once more to her every word.

"Alright" she stood back from me, snapping her fingers to produce a picture of a young boy, and then handed it over for me to look.

"Study it carefully" she instructed "this is the only time you will see this picture, memorize his face well, he is the reason I am here."

I gently grabbed the photo and studied it carefully.

The picture was clear, revealing a smiling young man with soft green eyes and gorgeous bronze hair. His face was angular and sharp, but still soft. The picture revealed a blinding smile that looked timid and young. He was beyond handsome. He looked warm and cheerful, smart and kind, he looked like _he_ should be the one with wings on his back.

"Who is he?" I asked, still staring intently at the picture.

"His name is Edward Mason. He's 17 years old and lives in Chicago, born 1884 on December 5th. In order for you to complete your task you will be sent back to the year 1901"

"What!" I screeched jerking my head up to stare incredulously at her, "You want to send me back 118 years in the past? I'll stick out like a sore thumb; I don't understand anything about how they lived back then!"

"You'll be fine, I'll be there to help you whenever you need me, it's only temporary remember."

"I don't know…"

"Trust me, you wouldn't be chosen for this if we thought you couldn't do it"

"Alright…" I conceded, looking back down at the picture. "So what does he have to do with anything?" I asked

"Well you see, this boy here is meant to create a deadly virus, the vary virus that is currently threatening the existence of mankind as we speak. I believe you humans named it the Reaper, am I right?"

"Seriously?" I asked unbelieving, he looked harmless to me, how the hell could he have created something so…so…evil.

"He's far from harmless Bella, at the moment he seems kind and loving. Don't be fooled by his appearance, inside he is a malicious beast that is responsible for the lives of the thousands this virus has already claimed!"

"If he is meant to do what you say then how come everyone is still alive, I mean this happened over 100 years ago right?"

"That's because he never actually created it, only the formula." She explained simply. "Before he was able to make it he was shipped to fight in the 1st world war were it was lost"

"Oh…" was my brilliant reply "So then you're sending me back to destroy the formula he creates…?" I asked confused.

"Well not exactly" she trailed off. "You're meant to go back to stop him." Glancing away from me she briefly added, so softly though that I wasn't even sure if I was meant to hear it "permanently"

A slight shiver ran down my spine at the possibilities of what _permanently _meant.

"If you complete this task you will be greatly rewarded" she continued, this time louder and with enthusiasm.

"Rewarded?" I asked "how?"

"As a token of our appreciation, I will grant you the thing you want most"

"What do you mean?"

She didn't answer me, she just closed her eyes and moved her arms so they stretched out in front of her, her hands folded into a half bowl. A luminous glow started to seep out from her hands. A crystal ball of light immerged and formed in front of her, growing bigger and bigger until it stretched as tall as a person, and as wide as two meters. I had to squint my eyes to handle the brightness before it started to dim. My heart stopped at the image that resided in the center of it. There stood a man, his hair rustled and uneven, a crisp flaky blonde, with grey blue eyes, and an enormous smile on his face. He had many laugh lines; his eyes crinkled and filled with happiness.

"_Charlie_?" the words caught in my throat, I could feel the tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. My hand rose of its own accord towards the image. It looked so real. Before I could stop myself I was on my feet and running towards him, my fingers outstretched to wrap my arms around him, but the moment they came in contact with the picture it shattered. And he was gone. I fell to my knees to stunned to think. I could feel my arms wrap themselves around my shoulders, breathing became hard.

"Again" I gasped "please! Show him to me again, please!" I begged. The tears finally started to spill down my cheeks.

"What you saw was just an illusion" Desde whispered, "but if you do this for us, it will no longer be just a fantasy" I looked up at her, I couldn't believe what she was saying, if I allowed myself to hope and it not be true…I don't think I could have handled another heart break like that.

"It's no lie, your reward should you comply, will be your father. Your family; you'll have it all back. It will be like he never left."

Family… the word seemed so distant and out of reach. I wanted it more than anything, a life with him again, a life were everything was perfect, everyone happy. Mom would smile at me again and call me her darling, dad would sit with me and we would go fishing together like old times. We would be happy. It sounded so wonderful. I wanted it, I wanted it so badly. To feel loved again, to feel like I belonged, to have a family again.

"So what do you say" the angel asked again, though this time she seemed to already know my answer "will you do it?"

What a silly question. There was no option, no hesitation. This was my only chance, and like hell would I let it slip between my fingers and vanish.

"Yes" was my reply.

The angel quickly placing her hands on my shoulders. "Are you sure? Once you have officially accepted you can't turn back, there's no quitting half way."

"I'm sure." I stated.

"Then there's only one thing you have to do"

"What's that?"

"Sign the contract" with that said she snapped her fingers, producing a golden contract and a feather pen.

"All you have to do is sign your name at the bottom"

I squared my shoulders and took hold of the pen; carefully I signed my name on the line at the bottom of the page. As soon as I had finished the contract vanished and Desde immediately pulled me into a hug, I wrapped my arms around her body awkwardly trying not to touch her wings, her body much like her hands were soft and strangely cold.

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how happy your decision has made me"

"Um, Miss Angel I just have one question for you" I said nervously, gently pulling away from her so I could look at her face closely.

"Please call me Desde" she chuckled, waving her hand in front of herself once "there's no need to be so formal, but anyways what is it you wish to ask?"

"What _exactly _do you want me to do to stop him?" it was almost instantaneous, her joyful expression dissipated into one of sadness, nervousness and guilt. Sighing she walked away from me to look out the window, she stared at the sky thinking then looked back at me, her eyes and face resembled a stone wall.

"There is only one way to stop him completely" she said, still not answering fully

"And that is?" I asked, though I felt I already knew. A sickening feeling started to form in the pit of my stomach. The slight flash of regret in Desde's eyes confirmed it; she looked away from me, turning to look once more out the window towards the sky and trees. When she spoke there was no emotion, they were just words, yet they pierced me like a dagger to the heart.

"You must kill him"


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note: I don't own twilight I'm just borrowing her characters. **

Chapter 2

Chicago, March 3rd, 1901

_**Edward **_

I don't know when it happened, but suddenly she was just there.

Her soft chestnut hair twisted with the winds invisible fingers, her small delicate form bent with the current of her music… Her nimble fingers caressed the strings of the violin, they flowed smooth like water; creating sounds that could coax even the devil to smile.

Not a soul knew from where she had come, or who she was. Yet her presence held a solid claim in the city, a claim so strong that without her, it felt empty and bare.

She never spoke, yet her eyes were as open as a book. Every emotion, every thought, was easily read by just staring into the intensity of her sterling brown eyes.

Every day I would stand in the shadows of the crowd and listen to her play.

… Yes I know that sounds creepy, but I swear I'm not a stocker…

The market was always busy around this time, with the streams of people wondering through the street shopping at the stalls. It was always loud and always packed. Or at least, it was. Now it was busy for a whole new reason, and that reason was _her_.

The crowds that had at one time passed in a stupor would now stand and watch the girl with the violin. They smiled as they listened to her music, cheered as each new song would begin and end, and occasionally drop coins into her open violin case that lay at her feet.

I sighed, a smile forming on my lips as I closed my eyes and listened to the lullaby she was currently playing.

"Edward? Edward there you are your father is finally back in town, it's time to come home" I turned and opened my eyes just in time to see my mother strolling towards me, strays of her light brown hair loosely cascading across her face from her otherwise tight bun.

"Wayland, did you hear me?" Her brown eyes twitched with playful annoyance.

"Yes mother I heard you, when did he arrive?"

"Well let's see… about twenty minutes after your timely departure of leaving to gaze upon the _enchanting_ Miss Angel that plays before us." Her eyes and voice held nothing but mirth now.

"Don't be ridiculous! I simply like to take a stroll down this road every day. It's just a coincidence that she plays here that's all." Well damn, it seems I wasn't as inconspicuous as I had thought.

She laughed, it was the type of laugh a mother does when she sees through everything, but still loves to watch you as you try to explain and only manage to humiliate yourself further.

"Mhmm, I'm sure. And I bet that's precisely why you leave every day at _exactly_ two o'clock to walk to this _exact_ market where our lovely Miss Angel just _happens_ to be playing every day at this time. Pure coincidence my butt young man, you know perfectly well that ever since she arrived in town and started playing you haven't been able to take your mind off her, let alone your eyes."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, but it is"

"It's not. I have absolutely no interest in that girl what-so-ever!"

She snickered and rolled her eyes at me. Taking hold of my arm, she started pulling me away from the crowed.

"Look Edward, we can argue about this all day, but the fact of the matter remains that you are infatuated with that girl. Why don't you stop acting like a child, and start acting like the fine man I raised you to be and speak to her?"

I lowered my eyes while shaking my head, if only it was that easy.

"You say it like it's no big deal to walk up and talk to her, you know for a fact that she doesn't speak. I would look like a fool."

"How do you know what would happen if you never try?"

"Mother, you know she doesn't talk and– AHH" I quickly yanked my stinging arm away from my mother's grasp, grimacing from the pain inflicted by her nails.

"Why did you do that?" I demanded.

"Because" she huffed, giving me a look that screamed murder should I not listen. "You're missing the point! Just because she doesn't talk does not mean that she doesn't wish to listen or be spoken to! I can't even imagine how lonely she must feel. What with no parents or family, she has only herself for company."

We both stopped walking as my mother looked back from where we had come, the music of the violin still echoed faintly through the streets. Her voice lowered to a murmur, so light it could be carried away by the wind "I could never bear it; I would surely go mad…"

We were silent for a moment, then my mother turned around and started walking again, I followed two steps behind, her words still ringing in my ears.

"But you know..." she began again, slightly turning her head back to look into my eyes. "I'm sure if you ever worked up the courage to speak to her she wouldn't feel so alone, in fact what woman wouldn't be happy when a handsome young man such as you talks to them?"

I couldn't help but smile at that.

"Maybe your right" I finally consented, picking up my pace and walking alongside her "I promise I will try to speak to her."

"Soon?"

I smiled ruefully, "soon" I agreed. Our eyes met, hers scanning for any deception, mine showing my sincerity.

She smiled, just a small lift of her lips "I'm glad" She whispered. The rest of the walk home was silent, with only the crunching of our steps on the gravel road to disturb it.

It was only a few minutes later that we arrived home, the iron gates slightly ajar with father standing alongside them awaiting our arrival. His normally stylish business suit replaced with a more comfortable attire consisting of a light brown button up shirt, and black slacks with a matching jacket. His brown hair usually neatly combed and arranged, now slightly ruffled.

"Took you two long enough, I was just about to send the towns search party after you had you taken a minute longer."

His voice was rough, always having this rich quality that's incomparable to anything I know, but it had a softness to it that only ever appeared when he spoke to either my mother or I.

Mother laughed, her voice ringing with all the happiness in the world. Her brown eyes sparkled with delight as she ran into the open arms of her husband.

"Why hello to you too darling, I apologize for the wait but you can blame your son for that. You will not _believe_ the miracle that has happened while you were away"

I felt my ears redden at the implications her words held. I cleared my throat, intending to change the subject before it could swing any further into the danger zone my mother was leading it to.

"Welcome home father, I trust your trip was enjoyable and pleasant."

"About as pleasant as it can get while being away from my lovely wife and wondrous son"

"So in other words it was spectacular"

"Edward! How rude" Her glare was fierce, but not nearly as fierce as the roaring laugh that came out of her husband's lips, his form shook with the force and his face turned beet red.

"Ah yes, indeed it was my son, indeed it was."

"Oh for heaven's sake, why must I bare the torment of living with you two childish _boys_? Will the lord not grace me with the wonders of a female companion?"

My mother's gaze shifted from the sky to me, her eyes fluttered impishly, an innocent pout shaped her features perfectly "will you, Edward, my own son deny me the joys of a new daughter?"

"Mother…" I warned, quickly glancing at father only to see his eyes shift from amusement to confusion.

"A new daughter? Clara what does our son have to do with that?"

"Nothing! I have absolutely nothing to do with it, I-I um… I think mother has been in the sun to long and her head is spinning with confusion, we should hurry and get her inside where she can rest."

Before anyone could even blink I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her through the gate towards the house, leaving my father to catch up.

"Mother please" I whispered into her ear as I hulled her up the granite steps towards the front door, "please don't say anything more on the subject, I beg you."

From the look I received I could tell all the pleading in the world wouldn't help, her mind was set, and to my dismay it was not in my favor.

Sighing in defeat, I opened the door to the house. An air of victory loomed around her as she walked inside, my father a step behind barring the look of a very bewildered man.

"Do you mind telling me…?"

"Don't ask"

He raised his eyebrows, his black eyes at first confused, now sparkled with an all knowing glow. Shaking his head he chuckled, staring into the house where you could already hear mother bustling about the kitchen talking to the servants about tonight's supper plan.

"Never mind, I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later from your mother."

I groaned. Great, just great! And the best thing about it was that I was powerless to stop what was to come.

Closing the door behind me, I quickly removed my shoes and ran up the stairs towards my room. The spiral staircase had never seemed so long in all my life as I climbed them, desperate to be spared the knowing smirks from my mother and the servants.

At last I reached the top and headed to the end of the hall to my room, quickly closing and locking the door behind me I slumped down, burying my head in my hands while leaning against the door. The golden carpet beneath me was soft and smelled of honey; the white walls that surrounded me acted as a comfort.

Why? Why was it that ever since Miss Angel arrived in town my eyes have been constantly watching her every move? How is it possible that as her music stole my breath away it also stole my mind, making it imposable for my thoughts to be anywhere else but wrapped around her?

Why is it, that no matter how much courage I have, it's never enough for me to go up and speak with her? It's not like I haven't seen countless others do it, when she had first arrived and started playing many people had tried to start conversations with her after her performances each day. Asking her name, where she had come from, where her family was, or just complementing her.

Of course she never answered… at first everyone thought it strange and kept asking. After the first week of the same silence it become clear that she simple couldn't talk, and as rumors spread of the mysterious violin player being a mute, the questions stopped altogether.

After that, only a few people a week would speak to her, requesting a certain song they wished to hear while avoiding eye contact if possible, but either then that, nothing.

It was from that moment I realized that her smiles, at first always bright and plentiful, have now shrunken and become solemn. Her eyes, which at one time flashed with an intensity that could rival that of any gem, now seemed dull and lifeless. Almost as if the silence of the crowd, had also silenced her spirit, locking it away in a box within herself.

'_She has only herself for company_.' Mother's words sprang forth in my head; my hands sank further into my hair, softly pulling at it creating a dull ache.

'_Only herself for company_'… Only herself.

I tried to picture it, the feeling of having no one. Images of what my life would be like without mother or father, without any of my friends… I immediately shied away from the sharp pain that struck me.

'_I could never bear it; I would surely go mad.' _

Thinking about it, I wouldn't be able to bear it either. So how was it? How was it that she can continue getting up each morning and play so beautifully?

"Because she doesn't have a choice" I whispered

With no family to support her, the violin is her only source of employment, the only way she can live. Take the violin away and she would have nothing, and to the rest of the world she would be nothing. The violin is what made her noticed; it's what separates her from the others that wonder the streets like ghosts.

"Damn it!"

My fist that had been buried in my hair struck the wall with a force I hadn't realized I was capable of, the black book case that was pushed against it trembled. A book fell off the shelf and landed on the ground with a soft thud.

I immediately got up, slowly walking over to retrieve it.

_knock, knock, knock. _

"Master Edward?"

The quiet voice of Emily made me turn my head back to the closed door. Forgetting about the book that lay at my feet, I walked back over to the door, unlocking and opening it.

"Yes?" I asked, slightly sticking my head outside the opening.

She looked worried, her soft features slightly creased on her forehead, her hands tugged on one another in front of her. Her long gown today was black, just like her hair that was neatly in place under her white bonnet.

"I'm sorry to intrude but the mistress asked me to inform you that supper is ready."

"Thank you, you can tell her I will be right down." I was just about to close the door when Emily stopped me, her soft voice sounding strain and nervous.

"Uh - um, please wait… I – I know it's none of my business but are you alright master Edward?" the twisting of her hands became more noticeable, her eyes cast down with uncertainty.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well I –um… I heard a loud bang just moments ago coming from your room, and I um, well, I was wondering if you were alright." Her voice trailed off; slightly biting her lip she looked up at me, the worry in her eyes clear as day.

Inwardly I grimaced; outwardly I placed a small convincing smile on my face.

"I'm fine, there's no need to worry" I told her, just about to close the door again when she called

"But what about that noise?"

"I tripped and bumped into the wall" I lied, wishing she would stop asking and go, "is that all?" I asked, a slight drip of annoyance leaking into my voice.

Her head snapped up hearing the leak. Slightly backing up she briefly curtsied, apologized and left. The tail of her dress trailed behind her as she fled towards the stairs, I closed the door.

Walking back over to the fallen book I picked it up, the smooth texture and light weight felt strange to me for some reason, shrugging I placed it back in its rightful spot then left the room heading down for supper.

The dining room was a rather large room. The walls were golden brown, with a crystal chandelier hanging in the center above the long lavishly carved deep cherry brown table. On the table sat pasta and chicken, with half filled wine glass containing red wine. The aroma made my mouth water, and stomach growl.

"Edward is that you finally out of your room?" mothers head poked out from behind the kitchen door, the smile she had on slowly faded as she looked into my eyes.

"Are you alright dear? You look unwell"

"I'm fine"

"Are you sure? Your face seems pale"

"I'm positive"

"Hmm" she didn't look convinced; her brows slightly forward staring into my eyes. Walking up to me with a spatula in her hand her lips formed an "O" shape, finally finding the answer she was seeking.

"You understand now, don't you?" she asked calmly.

"I do"

"And?" she questioned, cocking her head slightly to the side.

I looked away, lowering my voice "I'm going to talk with her, and if she wishes it, be her friend so then she won't need to feel so alone, so that she can smile the way she did the first week she arrived here."

At that my mother looked at me with warmth, wiping her hands on her apron she then chuckled, the evil gleam was back in her eyes, meaning nothing but trouble for me.

"Just friends? Nothing more? Really san I'm not getting any younger and neither are you, It's about time you settle down and give me some grand children to spoil."

"Mother!"

"What? I'm serious; unless you're careful you might just lose her. I mean what if some other fellow decides to sweep her off her feet and marry her, all because you were to chicken to make a move? How would you feel if that happened?"

I didn't even answer her; I just rolled my eyes and sat at my place at the table, silently waiting for her and father to take their seats so we could eat. I didn't have to wait long, it was seconds later that father came strolling into the room and took his seat, and we began to eat.

Talk was pleasant, and the food was delicious. The topic of conversation moved freely between day to day activities and the new client's father now has from his law firm. That is, until it moved to Miss Angel.

"You know darling, while you were away you missed a new comer to town" mother casually said while cutting her chicken,

"Is that so, and who is this new comer?"

"Well, no one really knows who she is, or where she came from, but she's caused quit the stir around town." She explained.

"Oh? How so?" his attention was caught now, nothing interested father more than mysteries, it was one of the reasons he became a lawyer in the first place.

"Mhmm, you see she doesn't talk or have any family that anyone knows about, but she plays the violin so beautifully that it's captured the hearts of everyone around. In fact she plays it so well, that everyone has named her Angel, because of how enchanting she is. Isn't that right Edward?"

Father looked up from his dinner to me, looking for conformation to what she was speaking of.

"Yes, she does play very well, and she has been given the name of Miss Angel, and little Angel" I replied, trying to sound detached.

"Is that so…" he murmured, putting his fork and knife down, he smiled at me. "Maybe you should introduce me to this _Miss Angel_. When does she play and where?"

Mother intersected before I could reply, "she plays at 2 o'clock everyday in the market north of here. The one with that bar you like to go to."

"Joe's place?"

"Yes, that's the one"

"Then it's decided. Tomorrow we will all go to see this violin player, how does that sound?"

"Splendid, I can't wait! What about you dear?"

"Sounds good to me" I replied. Inside I was glaring daggers at her. Maybe having no mother wouldn't be as bad as I had originally thought…


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors note: I don't own twilight I'm just borrowing her characters. **

Chapter 3

February 4th, 1901

_**Bella**_

The underground hut, if you could call it that was small and slanted, the walls and roof made from roughly cut logs like in those cabins placed in the middle of the woods. It was dark, and smelled of decaying bark and mold. The candles that lit the room cast ominous shadows that flickered with the movement of the flames. But it was warm and solid, a place where I would be safe from harm, and for that simple reason alone I loved it.

"How did you find this place?" I asked, still looking around my new home.

"It was created for the purpose of harboring people on long hunting trips many decades ago, that is before this city took a liking to industrialization. Now it's just a forgotten hole in the ground." Desde answered, still sitting on the wooden chair by the table.

"But this furniture looks relatively new"

"Well it is. I set everything up so it would be comfortable for living before I went to get you."

I looked around again, this time really looking. At the far corner from the hole-door was a simple table with two comfortable looking chairs, at the far right of that was a dug out meant as a fireplace with a tunnel above leading up to the surface to let the smoke out, wooden bookshelves stood neatly set against the wall by the fire pit containing cooking and eating utensils. To the far left of the room was another hole acting as a separate room, walking through it I saw a small but very inviting bed with lavender sheets and cream white pillows. On the wall to the right of the bed were more shelves, this time for clothes, blankets and other personal items. I felt like I was living in a hobbit hole. It was perfect.

"I'm glad you approve of the decorating" Desde laughed from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise.

"How do you _do_ that!?" I gasped.

"Do what?" she smirked, knowing full well what I meant.

"How is it you can read my mind?" I specified, annoyed.

"Easy, I'm an Angel. Reading the minds of mortals is just something that happens." She shrugged her shoulders, acting as if it were no big deal when in fact; it was a very big deal.

"Well could you stop reading mine? My thoughts are private, and I don't like the idea of you just reading them without my permission." I ranted, "I mean it's not very angel like to invade someone's personal bubble like that without asking first."

The emotion that flickered in Desde's eyes was too quick for me to catch before she turned away, quickly apologizing before exiting the room to the main one.

Well damn… That sure was smooth Bella, sighing I followed Desde out.

"I'm sorry" I whispered "that was very rude of me; I shouldn't have made that last comment"

"Its fine" she said, waving me off "You were right, I promise I won't do it again" before I could say more Desde knelt down to pull at a clasp on the ground I had not noticed, rising up from the ground opened a secret door that seemed to lead to another room below.

"This is the cellar" Desde specified, "it's meant for meats, vegetables and other food items. It acts as a refrigerator in a way to keep perishables as fresh as possible since it's so deep into the ground"

"How long will the meats last down there" I asked,

"Let's see, depending on the heat maybe two weeks." She closed the door; dusting off her hands then continued "I wouldn't go any longer two weeks, just to be on the safe side. Oh and make sure you salt and smoke the meat before you put it down there, otherwise it will just rot"

"Okay"

"Also you won't have to worry about the walls caving in when it rains, or bugs and animals invading you, I've placed a charm around this place that will protect you. And lastly, no human can enter without you letting them in first." She finished, tapping her finger against her chin thinking. "Well I think that's all the basics, so how about you get changed so we can leave alright?"

"Changed? Why?" I asked

"Well you can't go into town dressed like that; you need to put on clothes that are appropriate for this time period." She explained, rolling her eyes.

"Well obviously, but why are we going into town?" I elaborated while going to one of my suitcases to grab a change of clothes.

"To go shopping of course, this place doesn't supply itself you know. You have to go shopping for your food and items, so I'm going with you the first time to show you how it's done."

"Oh, that makes sense, thank you"

"I'll pay for all the supplies this trip then give you a suitable amount of money that should last you about a month or two depending on how you spend it." She began, turning away to give me privacy while I changed. "After that you'll have to find your own way to make money, maybe get a job as a maid or seamstress, or play your violin in the streets. Are you ready yet?" she asked

"Yes, I just have to fix my hair and I'll be ready to go" I stated, moving over to the mirror that hung from the ceiling beside the door.

I brushed my hair so it was smooth and neat, and then pulled half of it up to form a small delicate bun on the right side of my head, leaving the rest to hang down my back in gentle waves.

"What do you think" I asked, doing a small twirl.

"You look lovely, is that one you made yourself?" she asked

"Mhmm, every stitch" I declared proudly.

The outfit that I chose was a simple casual wear. A creamy white high collard blouse with long sleeves, suited with a long high waist cotton skirt that fell gently to the floor. The skirt was a soft sky blue color with small embroidered designs running from the bottom up. On the waist I wore a leather belt decorated with colorful designs using fake gems, and finally a pair of simple white laced gloves for my hands. Nothing flashy that would stand out to much, but a lovely combination none the less.

"There's just one thing missing" Desde smiled, looking me over.

"What's that?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"This" she stated, holding out a beautiful chocker necklace. It was a chain of yellow and white gold twisted together into an elegant braid, with a beautiful tear drop shaped crystal stone hanging from the middle.

"It's beautiful" I whispered, my eyes never leaving the swirling gem that seemed to glow with energy and life.

"It's yours" she smiled, indicating with her figure for me to come closer.

"I know this sounds strange but I need you to prick your finger to draw some blood"

"Why?" I asked, taking a step back rather than forward. I hated blood, couldn't stand it.

"It's imperative to complete the spell. This isn't some ordinary necklace, it's a charm and it needs a few drops of your blood to work."

"Why do I need a charm? Aren't I just here to complete the contract and go?" I started to back away, there was no way I was pricking my finger.

"Because you don't belong here!" Desde exclaimed "this necklace will act as a shield and a tracker; it needs your blood to register to you. Without this I won't be able to locate you here, you'll be trapped and will never go home. Its not easy to just jump back and forth between time periods, it takes a lot of energy. This gem will make it easier for me to help you, understand?"

I nodded weakly, the mere thought of remaining here for the rest of my life sent a tidal wave of fear throughout my body.

"Then please, I need some of your blood"

Reluctantly I agreed. Going to a shelf I grabbed a pin from a basket, took a deep breath and pricked my finger. It didn't hurt, but my reaction was instant, the copper smell filled my nose even while I was holding my breath, my head become lighter and I instantly felt sick. Desde instantly registering the change rushed forward and took my finger in order to let a few specks of blood drop onto the crystal stone, then immediately sealed the opening.

"Thank you" she said. Once the blood was gone I felt better, the copper smell was gone and the fog in my head lifted as well. I watched as she mumbled a few incoherent words over the gem before she cut her own finger and let a few drops be absorbed by the stone as well. Looking at the gem I saw the once crystal clear stone turn bloody red.

"there, it is done" looking up from the stone she indicated for me to turn around.

I did as she instructed, the chocker felt heavy on my neck, the cool metal gleamed with the light of the candles. I placed my hand over the gem; its texture was smooth as glass, and very warm. It almost felt like a pulse, or a beating heart.

"you must promise me Bella!" she insisted, placing her hands on my shoulders "This necklace will keep you safe here, if you lose it I can't guarantee your safety, I can't help you if you're in trouble." Her tone became desperate, willing me to fully understand what she was saying. "Take this off, and you will be completely alone."

"I promise I will never take this off "I whispered, she searched my eyes looking for any sign I did not fully understand. Finally she stood up and smiled, convinced that I would not disobey her.

"There is only one more rule you must follow here besides never taking that off."

"What's that?" I asked curiously

"While you're out there you must never speak a word to anyone."

"What!" I shrieked, my eyes widening at the implications. "I can't speak? Ever!?"

"Oh you can talk, just not with other people around." She answered sadly "You must become a mute to the public; a single word on your part can alter and change history. That is why you must never let _anyone_ hear you speak. The only one you can speak to is me, and the boy Edward, but only when not a soul is around, and when you do speak with him, be very careful with your words or they will have dire consequences."

"Is that all?" I asked sadly, casting my eyes down to the dirt floor beneath my feet.

"Yes my dear, that's all" I felt her cool hand touch my cheek, pulling my face up to hers. "Don't look so sad my dear, this will only last a few months, remember it's not permanent"

"Alright" I answered though still not fully convinced. "Are we ready to go now" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, oh wait there's just one more thing I have to ask you" I looked at her waiting, an eyebrow slightly lifted.

"Can I have your permission to read your mind and to transmit my thoughts into your head, so that we may communicate on the streets without drawing attention to ourselves?" she asked sheepishly.

I told her yes, rolling my eyes I began to crawl up the hole towards the surface. The smell of the fresh air hit me hard, like a soccer ball to the gut, only instead of pain it was pleasure. The sweet scent of pine was wonderful and combined with the peaceful sounds of rustling leaves and birds singing, a refreshing treat compared to the polluted oil fogged air and traffic noises of my time.

"Absolutely beautiful" I whispered, taking a deep breath and enjoying the warmth of the sun through the trees that surrounded me.

"Beautiful indeed" Desde agreed. Turning around I see that she too was dressed in a simple outfit befitting the time, she was clothed in a peach business dress with buttons trailing down from her neck to her waist. Her hair was done up in a neat spiral crown at the top of her head with a giant matching hat on top.

"Alright, off we go" she sang, walking forward towards the west heading for the outskirts of the city.

The walk through the forest was calm and silent, with just the sounds of the forest and the crunching of our boots on the earth's floor to disturb it. It had taken fifteen minutes of walking to get into town, and another ten minutes to get to the market square. Here the tranquility of the forest did not follow us; here it was filled with a cluster of people all shouting and bargaining over one another, buying and selling, laughing and smiling, running, walking and playing. It was so full of life and excitement.

'_It will lose its charm once you've been here a week or so'_ the voice of Desde was clear as day in my mind.

'_Maybe' _I thought back smiling, _'but then again maybe not'_

We continued walking, every once in awhile someone would catch my eye and smile or nod at me, I would smile in return and nod back. I can't remember the last time I felt this light inside, the last time I felt so happy and at peace. Here everything seemed so simple and pleasant; I wanted to stay here forever.

'_Desde?'_ I asked

'_Yes?'_ came her reply, turning to my right I saw her eyes focused on mine

'_why is it, that other than you that boy is the only one I can talk to?' _

'_Well that's simple, it's because he's going to die soon, so it hardly matters what affect your words have on him since he won't be around to change anything' _

'_Oh' _well that should have been obvious… the feeling of happiness slowly started to fade as I remembered my whole reason for being here in the first place.

'_Is there anything else your curious about?' _ Desde probed, probably sensing the fall of my mood and trying to distract me.

'_Why do you need me to be the one to kill him?'_ I asked bluntly, picking the first thing that popped into my head _'Can't you create an accident of some sort that kills him?' _

'_That's a little complicated' _she grimaced but continued none the less. '_You see, because Edward is creating something that will put the world into chaos the devil has taken an interest in his success. He has placed a binding shield of protection around him in order to keep the angels away, which is why we need you.'_

'_So this spell doesn't work on me?' _I asked

'_The spell doesn't work on mortals no, only spiritual beings such as myself.' _She confirmed

'_So then… won't the devil and his servants try to stop me from killing him?'_ I asked, scared of the answer that would no doubt be bad

'_Yes, they will stop at nothing in order to stop you.' _ Well that's just great…

'_However…' _she continued_ 'as long as you keep the necklace I gave you _on,_ they can't touch you. The red gem in the center was has traced of my blood as well, so as long as you wear it they can't lay a hand on you no matter how hard they try'_ well that's a relief, one less thing to worry about while here…

We continued for a bit in silence, slipping through the crowd like mist through cracks. That is, until something, or someone as I should say, caught my attention. It was just a flash in the corner of my eye, but the moment I froze and turned towards it I saw him.

Edward

He was standing by a stall of flowers looking intently at each type, talking with the person and laughing. They seemed to be bargaining over a price, or at least that's what it looked like, but I couldn't be sure from this distance.

His eyes…

His face…

He just seemed so young, so carefree.

…So…real…

I think it was at that moment the realization of what I had to do dawned on me. It was no longer just a negotiation, no longer just words. It was real. _He_ was real. Not just a picture, but a living, breathing person. And the fact that I had to take his life, at that moment, became very, very real.

I couldn't peal my eyes away from him, my heart quickened; I could feel the beating getting heavier and heavier in my chest. My breathing started to feel shallow, and it felt as if the air in my lungs was leaving me, or maybe it was just all air entirely. An invisible vacuum sucking every atom of oxygen leaving me starved. There was a ringing in my ears; a buzzing that resembled a swarm of bees. The noise of the streets seemed duller then before, as if there was a cotton barrier preventing me from hearing everything clearly. My body felt light and heavy, and I became very aware of every breath, and every pulsation of blood running through my veins. My energy seemed to be running in waves through me, leaking out of me, like water through a dripping faucet.

This all happened in a moment, happened before I even realized it was happening. The blackness overpowered me, and caged me in the darkness of unconsciousness before I was even aware I was under attack.

… Slowly, I felt myself again. I felt the waves of energy in my body flow smooth once more. I could feel my heart, my pulse, and my every breath. I was still unconscious though. You know that feeling you get when you're dreaming and know you're dreaming but can't wake up. Well that's what it felt like. That state of hovering on the line of reality and fantasy. No gravity, just floating. Trying to remember, to grasp and to understand what it was that happened last.

I remembered walking, I think…

…yes, walking, in a market. Walking, and then seeing something.

No…wait! Not something but someone…

That boy... Edward!

And just like that, the fog clears. I regain gravity, and everything feels real. I can feel the texture of the ground under my hands, the heaviness of my body. Next to return is my sense of taste. My mouth feels dry and bitter, like I have been asleep for 13 hours in an overheated room. Finally, my hearing and sight resume at once, however it's blurred and unclear. The ringing in my ears is still present, but not as bad.

"How are you feeling?" Desde's voice was quiet. I turned towards her and saw her on her knees beside me. Her face was vacant of any form of expression, but in her eyes I could detect her worry. I didn't answer her though; I just turned my head and looked around. We were back in my hobbit home. A couple of candles were lit, the smell of wax and smoke creating a thick and unpleasant aroma. This of course, mind you, was not helping my head situation one little bit.

"How did we get back here?" I asked finally, after carefully sitting up. Desde hovered close, her fingers twitched as if she was waiting for me to collapse again and catch me.

"I flew us back"

"You FLEW!" I shrieked, immediately regretting it as my head pounded in retaliation. I groaned and lowered my head to me knees as a way to help. If you were wondering, it didn't work. "What about the people in the street?" I continued in a much softer, but still frantic tone. "I mean, it can't exactly be normal to just see a person sprout wings and fly off. What the hell were you thinking?"

The look she gave me made me feel like I was missing something. All she did was raise her eyebrow at me and stare, a small glimmer of amusement present in her eyes.

"Well obviously I stopped time for a fraction of a second to do it" was her reply. Oh yes…because meddling with time is such a typical solution, I don't know how I could have missed that…stupid divine powers…

"I heard that"

"Sorry" I apologized. The buzzing had stopped, the feeling of dizziness disappearing along with it. It was only now that I realized the chill in the air; it must be dark out.

"How long was I out?" I asked. Carefully I lifted myself off the ground and walked over to the wood supply by the fire place, selecting a few good logs to make a fire with.

"A few hours, the shock really hit you" the log I had been holding slipped from my grasp and clattered to the ground.

"So long?" I whispered. I heard her before I saw her. The clicking of her shoes was steady as she walked over to me. Bending down, she retrieved the log I dropped and started re-arranging the wood and kindle. Once satisfied, she used a lighter to create a spark, and then slowly built up the flames by blowing.

"You scared me" was her reply "I didn't think you'd react like that"

"So you knew he was there"

"Yes"

"And you didn't think of telling me?"

"If I had known this would be the result, I would have" she dusted off her hands and sat down cross legged. I watched as the flames cased shadows on her face, the fires reflection glowed in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked, turning my eyes into the flames, watching as they swirled and lapped around one another like serpents tongues.

"Why what?"

"Why me?" I elaborated. "Out of all the people in the world, why did God pick me?"

"You weren't chosen to do this Eva" she explained while sighing. "You were created to."

"What?" I breathed; I turned to her but couldn't read her expression.

"God made you for this purpose. It's not by chance, it's your destiny."

"I was born…to kill?" my voice sounded hollow, even to me. I just couldn't believe it; I was born to be a monster. No wonder dad left us; he probably saw me for what I was and couldn't stand it.

"No, no, no. you are not a monster." Desde gently wrapped her arms around me, hugging me to her chest. "Don't think of it like that. Sometimes one has to take a life, in order to save a life." she explained, gently rubbing circles into my back. "Or in your case, the lives of all humanity"

"Then I'm just a puppet" always the puppet, the tool. Just another chess peace to be moved in some elaborate strategy I'm not privy too. First with my mother, and now with God, does the word freedom even have a meaning? Or is it just another manipulative concoction created to better control the weak. What a charming world we live in.

"We are all puppets of Gods whims." She sighed "we move as our strings are pulled, and dance to whatever tune she desires. But Gob is not an impulsive master" she explained "there are reasons for everything, and sometimes the eye of one cannot see the vastness of these meanings, only a fraction of what is displayed to them."

"Did you just say _she_?" I asked in disbelief, pulling back to look at her.

"Yes, God is a woman" she used such a tone as if it was common knowledge.

"Woman... as in female?" I asked again, making sure I hadn't heard wrong.

"No, woman as in goat. Yes as in female" she rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"But the bible…" I began to say but was abruptly cut off by Desde's burst of laughter.

"Oh, my dear, 90% of what is said in that thing is either wrong, misinterpreted, or vastly over exaggerated." She pushed some of her black hair out of her face, still chuckling to herself.

"Would you like to hear the true story of heaven and hell?" she asked. The way her eyes glowed, I couldn't tell if it was from the shadows of the fire, or simply my imagination, but to me, they seemed almost dark, a forbidding glee shimmered under the surface. I nodded at Desde.

"Wonderful, but before I begin how about you get something to eat, it's late and you must be hungry" I just shrugged my shoulders, I wasn't really hungry but I decided to just eat something anyways. I got up, stepped away from the warm fire and walking over to a bowl of fruits on the small wooden table.

"When did we get this?" I asked, selecting an apple and returning to my original seat.

"While you were out cold I stocked up the place for you since our shopping trip was cut a little short. But anyways, continuing with the story, I suppose I should start with the beginning…Ok, let's see. Before the clocks of time had begun to strike, before there was a heaven, a hell, a God and a Devil, there was nothing, nothing but a vast empty space. Within the nothing, energy and atoms started to mix and collide, until one day they convulsed and collided as one giant piece and in doing so formed two lights, the first stars. These stars contained every fiber of energy in the solar system, and with that energy they evolved into the very first living beings. One was a woman, the other a man, siblings, the first and only ones of their kind. Between them, they shared the power and energy of the universe. However, they grew lonely and began to long for others like themselves. So, using their powers they created millions upon millions of stars in hopes of making more like them. The stars evolved much slower than they did, some taking millions of years before they reached the point of breaking out of there shell. The first one took only 300 years of developing to break, and when it did, when the first star exploded in a flash of light, the force of it spread like a pulsing wave, signaling the birth of a new being. This being was similar to the originals, but not the same, he lacked the magnitude of power they had. He couldn't create life, but he had something the siblings did not.

He had wings.

Clear feathered wings crafted of lights that shimmered in colors never seen by any before. Together, they had created the first angel."

"Wow wow wow, hold on a second." I interrupted. She didn't seem surprised by my reaction, if anything it seemed like she was expecting it from the look she gave me. I continued anyways, ignoring the look "So, you're telling me that every star in the sky is an unborn angel?"

"Not exactly" she explained "more like a potential angel." I gave her a dubious expression; she got the hint and elaborated more.

"Out of all the stars that have exploded over the millennia's only 7 or so have become angels, the rest just turn into swirling vortexes, black holes."

"So there are only 7 angels in the world?" I asked.

"Hardly, angels produce just like you humans; they have their own children and make their own families." I bit my lip, a question I desperately wanted to ask burned on my tongue, but I didn't know if it was appropriate to ask or not. Clearing my throat I looked Desde in the eyes and asked

"Are you a star born angel, or an angel born angel?" even though I knew that my enquiry would probably generate an awkward response, the reaction I got was not at all what I was expecting. She blinked at me; her eyes and face gradually hardened, wiped clear of emotion.

"I'm sorry" I hastily apologized, my eyes fell to the ground immediately, twisting and un-twisting my hands in my lap. An uneasy feeling inched through my veins, spreading like liquid magma. The silence was heavy; I waited for her to say something, anything. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, my stomach was in knots, and I could feel my blood draining from my face. My skin felt slightly cold and tight, it tingled.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?" Desde finally asked. Her voice was calm, collected, and gentle. I risked looking up to see her expression. Her face, like her voice was also calm and under control, it didn't matter what her expression was though. I could see it in her eyes. Those black eyes that usually seemed to have a sparkle of light in them are now just pits of black swirling over black.

"Yes" I answered meekly, casting my eyes down again.

"Then no more questions, agreed"

"Agreed" I promised

"Good. Now where was I … ah yes, the first angel. While the two siblings waited for others to be born they decided to create a world worth living in. this is when the formation of the solar system took place. Firstly they crafted a sun out of one of the larger stars, giving it more energy, more life, until it grew to such a mass that it could support the worlds they planned on creating. The first to be made was Mercury, the male wanted to create it on his own but put it to close to the sun, making it a planet of dust and fire. Next was Venus created by the woman, but she too made it to close. This time they decided to work together, and in doing so created Earth. Both of them were pleased with their work, and took great care in shaping it to be a beautiful paradise for all living creatures. They spent nearly 1000 years shaping Earth to be exactly what they wanted; and as the years passed they noticed things changed. Particles molded to create bacteria, amoebas, and eventually life. Fascinated, the siblings watched as what they created evolved past what they wanted while remaining in perfect harmony. Once satisfied that everything was stable and moving along nicely they moved on to other planets, making each one unique and beautiful in their own way. After creating the planets, they decided they wanted a place just for them, a place for the angels and themselves to call home. So together, they created what is now known as heaven. Shortly after heaven was created 3 stars exploded in the same year, 2 of which turned into black holes, the 3rd transformed into another angel, just like the first only this time it was a woman. She, like the first had wings of light and energy, and while she had power she too was nowhere near as powerful as her creators.

As the years passed, the siblings and the angels lived in heaven and peacefully watched over the earth and other planets, keeping track of the balance of life, and stimulating the evolution of growth on Earth. It was also during this time that the male sibling decided on a name for himself. He loved the feeling of being superior to others, so he wanted a name that would last for all eternity, a name that everyone would know.

He chose the name of Lucifer.

"But that can't be right!" I burst out before I could stop myself "that's the name of the Devil. The Devil is the essence of evil! He can't have created all life, that's just not possible!"

"That may be true" she agreed patiently "but at the time he wasn't the Devil. He was simply her brother, an equal. They both shared the powers of creation and devastation. They created life, the solar system, animals, and eventually humans. Together."

"Then how did he become the devil" I asked,

"I thought we agreed there would be no more questions" Desde replied, giving me a pointed look. I immediately closed off my questions and waiting for her to continue, mumbling a quick sorry before doing so.

"So, may I continue without anymore interruptions?" I nodded quickly

"Ok then, as I was saying. While Lucifer desired a title of his own his sister did not, and was quite content to remain as she was. However, she did not remain nameless for long, because the angels, whom loved her irrevocably, held great respect for her and always referred to her as "my lady". And as more years passed, and as the angels started to multiply, Lucifer and his sister decided to create a new entity. They wanted it to be different from all the others; they wanted a unique breed that would rival all others.

This is where they created humanity.

Now it was around here that the conflicts began. Lucifer became enthralled with the humans emotions, he began to influence them, twisting there weak minds, wanting them to worship him, to know him as there God. He found them easy to manipulate and took great pleasure in bending then to his will.

His sister did not.

She loved the humans in a completely different manner; she saw them as her children and doted on them above all other things. In her eyes they could do no wrong. They were perfect, and she would do anything to protect them. This of course drove a wedge between the siblings. She demanded that he stop playing with the humans like toys, and he demanded she stop looking at them as if there were more than just another living thing. They both refused and a war broke out between them. As a way to show her brother he was wrong, she gave humans a greater intelligence then all the other animals, giving them the gift of speech and fire. Lucifer in turn twisted their minds and hearts, breathing in deception and greed. Slowly Lucifer began to crave more power and control; he wanted the humans to fear him, he wanted to show his sister that they were not nearly as wonderful as she thought them to be. His sister, seeing what was happening to her brother tried to stop it, but it was too late. By then he had become the Devil, thus making her God or Goddess of Heaven. Once Lucifer became the Devil, Heaven and all its glory no longer interested him. So he left, wanting to create a domain more to his taste. Using the hatred he felt he created Hell.

At this point there was little warmth left in the brother's heart, leaving it cold and bitter with betrayal. It was from this bitterness that he crafted his realm to be crafted with mountains made of icy glaciers, seas consisting of liquid nitrogen, and bitter darkness that covered every crack of space. There is no sun in hell, no warmth of any kind; it is a black freezing pit that's sole purpose is to make people suffer. His hell became his new Heaven, and he has stayed there ever since. "

"I thought Hell was made of fire, not ice."

"No it's made of ice, how you humans came up with fire is beyond me" she snorted and looked away, shaking her head in wonder. "I mean really. You use flickering candle lights to create warm feelings, a fire place is considered happy and safe. Why Hell would be represented by something that people find comfort in is beyond me?" well when you put it like that, I thought, it made a bit more sense.

"So, does that mean that humans were the reason hell was created, that we created the Devil?"

"In a way, I suppose so"

"Can I ask you one more question?" I asked timidly, biting my lower lip in nervousness, fearing the same reaction my first one had. I think she noticed my hesitance, her eyes softened at me, the sparkle of light returning. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go ahead" she relied, giving me her full attention.

"How does it work, the whole going to heaven or hell thing, do people even go to heaven or is that just for the angels?"

"You remember me saying how the devil helped his sister create all mankind?"

"Yeah…" I replied

"Well, since he helped create humanity, a part of him is inside of you, same as his sister. And how that works is, a person is born with equally balanced amounts of good and evil in them. When one is born on earth it is more of a test to see which half wins out over the other. You see, Lady Heaven creates all humans with a purpose in life, a path that they follow into happiness. The devils job is to tempt you and to push you off that path onto his. Once you die the weights of each side are carefully measured and analyzed. If your heart remained pure then your sole will forever rest in paradise. Should it fail, and be stained in black it will be dragged down to hell to be punished for its sins then placed back on earth to try again."

"I see" I looked away from Desde into the smoldering ambers left in the fireplace. The room was almost pitch black now, I could feel the chill of the night air against my exposed arms and face.

"It's late" Desde said, gently pulling me to my feet and leading me to the bedroom. "It's been a long day and you must be tired."

"You'll be here in the morning right?" I asked while yawning

"No"

"What?!" I jerked away, panicked at the prospect of being left alone.

"Bella, I can't stay here for long" she explained gently; regret showing clearly on her face. "While the devil and his minions cant harm you, they can in fact, harm me if I stay here too long. I swear to you I won't abandon you, I will always be watching and the moment you need me all you have to do is call and I will be here. But this is something you have to do on your own, I will help in any way that I can, but I can't do it for you. Understand?" I nodded numbly. It made sense, but that didn't mean I had to like it or anything. The thought of being on my own here frightened me more then I would like to admit.

"I understand" I told her, putting on a brave face. I know she wasn't fooled, but she didn't press the matter any further. Instead she gave me a quick hug goodbye, told me where to find the money for food and everything, and then she was gone, and I was alone.

I tried to shrug off the empty loneliness I felt, really I did, but it was a lot harder said than done. So instead of worrying about the unknown, I simply changed my clothes into a soft baby blue nightgown and went to bed. Crawling under the cool sheets I pulled them up to my chin and closed my eyes, trying to think of a happy place, a happy dream.

I was asleep within minutes, the picture of my father smiling at me again sending me off peacefully.

**Authors Note: I hope you guys enjoyed my make belief Christianity. I actually did a lot of research and planning to put together my spin on creation and evolution. I know there are many different views in the world and for me I don't see why both can't be true. I'm a believer in evolution, the big bang and all that but I'm also open-minded to certain aspects of religion. It was this foundation that actually was the inspiration of this story. There is a lot more hidden in the background behind this concept of how life begins. But this chapter presents a taste of what I have put together. Tell me what you think I'd love to hear your opinions. Just have an open mind is all I ask. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight I'm just borrowing her characters. **

Chapter 4

March 4th, 1901

_**Edward**_

The morning sun broke through the night's blanket of darkness like any other day, with the smell of fresh bread being baked in the kitchen, and the sound of my mother playing the piano in her drawing room. It was truly a wonderful morning, and yet, even with all the warmth that waived through the house, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine.

Breakfast came and went, and still the feeling did not pass. Something felt wrong, out of place, like the calm before a storm.

I tried to shrug it off by distracting myself until it was time to leave by going into my studio and painting. I loved this room; it was my favorite room in the house, a room only I was allowed to enter. The walls were covered with my previous works, ranging from pastel drawings, charcoal portraits and watercolor sceneries. Oils, pencils, paints, wax, chalk, and sheets and sheets of paper covered every surface available. I loved the feel of painting, of creating any image in my head with just a simple flick of my wrist. I walked over to my most recent work, pulling off the sheet to reveal a canvas with a half finished portrait. It was an oil painting using gold, silver, black and a cherry brown as my only colors. The portrait was a picture of a girl sitting on her knees looking up into a moon lit sky. Her eyes gleaming silver with flakes of the brown, half lidded with an unconcealed longing in them. Her lips, full and soft, a deep shade of the red slightly parted in awe and desire. Her hair flowed in soft curls around her face and was pulled over one shoulder, brown with the life and warmth of the earth. She was facing the sky with her back to me, looking sideways towards the waxy moon. The moon and the sky seemed to beckon her, coaxing her to join it. Her body, completely bare, seemed tense as if she too wished to leap into its awaiting arms. Silver and golden wings rested on her shoulders covering most of her body from sight. They too lay tense, twitching to spread and fly. The wings faded into the scenery of the night, as if something was keeping her from what she desired most. Resting half on her lap was a partially drawn violin case.

Yes, the portrait was of Miss Angel. Try as I might, I could never quit get the image of her out of my mind. If I tried to draw the moon it would end up becoming her eyes, those brilliant eyes so full of feeling, with colors that I could spend eternity trying to recreate but fail. Her soft red lips, so enticing. How I longed to hear what her voice sounded like. I bet it was soft, like the music she played on her violin. Her small thin body always looked so delicate and frail, but she held it with a grace and will that was nowhere near weak. Then there was her face, round and smooth, a clear soft pale with tints of pink on her cheeks. Every detail, no matter how small bounced around in my head.

I went over to my desk, grabbed the stool and sat down in front of the canvas, re-opening the paints to continue where I had left off. The hours faded into one another as I spent my time drawing and painting the violin case, and the night sky. Once finished that I moved back to the details of her wings, getting the mix and blends of silver and gold just right. The clock in the corner of the room rang, indicating it was half past one. Finally it was time to depart to the market to see Miss Angel's performance. I quickly put my utensils away and cleaned up before heading down stairs, making sure the door was locked so no one wandered in and saw the still wet painting.

"Wayland" Father called "are you ready to go yet? I must say I'm quit anxious to meet this young lady your mother has told me so much about"

"Coming" I replied while walking down the steps, tugging my soft brown jacket on over my white shirt. Looking forward I saw mother wearing a peach dress with a white sash and hat, father was dressed much like he normally was, smooth and business like.

"Well hurry it up; I'm not getting any younger" mother called while slipping on her white gloves

Softly chuckling under my breath I walked over to my parents and opened the door, bowing deeply and saying in a think French accent "after you Madame Monsieur"

I felt my head being lightly smacked with my mother's purse, there smirks obvious even though I wasn't looking.

"Stop fooling around and get a move on, or we'll miss her first song" she chuckled.

"As you wish" standing up straight, I closed and locked the door before swiftly following after them.

The 4 block walk to the market was relatively quiet after that, well, minus the girlish giggles my mother would make whenever father whispered who knows what in her ear.

Shaking my head, I followed a few paces behind them, wondering what music Miss Angel would be playing today.

After a few more minutes of walking, the view of the market finally reached our eyes. It seemed more crowded than usual today, but then that would probably be because it was the end of the week.

The smells of freshly baked bread, fruits, and dust filled the air. I waived through the crowed with ease, father and mother following just as easily, until I arrived at my usual spot for watching and listening to her.

"It seems we've arrived early" I said, leaning against the wall of the shop.

"More like just in time, here she comes." My mother nudged my father and me, pointing to the right of us.

And there she was. Calmly walking through the crowed, her steps seemed to flow, glide almost as if she was on ice. The crowed parted leaving a path for her, the chatter dying to a silent hum. Her hair was done up in its usual fashion, her soft silken curls partly pulled up to form a small bun on the right side of her head, and the rest falling in waves around her. Her dress was a soft blue and white. The shoulders were slightly puffed with a white ribbon and bow gathering it together, then the rest of the sleeve wrapped around her arms loosely, tightening at her wrist then flaring over her hands. A white sash tide at her hips, knotted with another bow on the side that draped half way down her form, giving her a slim look. She truly was an angel.

"My word" father whispered, looking at him I noticed his eyes intently fixated on her.

"Didn't I tell you, she's quit lovely isn't she" mother whispered back, also looking at her with a smile.

"Yes, and her dress and hair style, I've never seen one quit like it, she has the grace and poise of an aristocrat, but if that's so then why play in the streets like some beggar?"

"She's not a beggar!"I immediately snapped, but regretted it instantly with the raised eyebrow look I receive from father and the smirk from mother. "I mean, it's the only way she can support herself. As far as anyone knows she doesn't have a family." I stated, moving my eyes to the ground.

"surly that can't be the case, if she's an orphan, judging by her clothes her parents must have had something decent to leave her to live off of, and she must have the skills and the education to find work in something" glancing up I saw him looking at me, his eyes confused.

"She doesn't speak" I replied. "Therefore no one wants to have anything to do with her. They want her music, nothing more. As for her parents, no one knows the answer to that."

"Can she make enough to live off of just playing?"

"She seems to be doing alright as of now, how long that lasts depends on the interest and charity of the crowd."

"Does she play at parties or events?"

"Not that I know of, she just plays on the streets and in the markets within the city."

"Hmm" he looked away from me, his eyes now staring at Miss Angel. She had just finished tuning her violin and was about to start. With her eyes closed, she positioned her fingers over the strings and played.

It was slow, it was sad, and it was beautiful.

The melody was simple and complex all at once, sweet and bitter, calm and powerful. It told the story of a sad and lonely being filled with grief, pain, and anger.

Looking at her, seeing the way she swayed with the music, I couldn't help but long to take that pain away. I closed my eyes to listen to her, the image of the painting I had of her came to mind. The longing of the music matched the longing in the painting. The anger, the sadness, the pain of wanting to break free and fly, it was as if the song was crafted from my art, or my art from her song. I opened my eyes to look at her again, this time closely. I wanted to see every expression that crossed her face, every emotion.

What happened next happened so fast I barely saw it. One moment she was playing with nothing but her violin filling the air, and the next a shriek came from her strings as a rock flew out of the crowd knocking the instrument to the ground. There was a dead silence as everyone was too shocked to react, and then came another flying through the air only this time aimed directly at _her_. She ducted just in time, falling to the ground in the process, using her arms as a shield to cover her head from the impact as more rocks came flying her way. I whirled around, searching for the bastards that dare harm her, and out of the corner of my eye saw a group of three kids, maybe seven or eight years old, all holding stones and throwing them, laughing as they hit their target singing.

"Little freak, cannot speak, playing in the dusty streets"

"Why don't you go back to where you came from mute girl" one shouted

"You're no angel, more like a goblin you freak!" shouted another.

I could feel the anger boiling inside of me like a volcano, how dare they! How dare those little brats say and do such things to her! I went to step forward, to put a stop to their cruel game but my father beat me to the punch, he had already stepped in front of them, blocking their view of her.

"What disgraceful behavior you boys are displaying. Have you no shame!?" my father bellowed at them, his eyes blazing with fire and anger, his hands contracting into fists as he stared down the brats. "Apologize to the young lady at once!" he demanded

"Why should we" the first one demanded, he seemed to be the leader of the bunch, he wore a woolen vest and hat.

"Yah" agreed the others; a repugnant look passed between the small group at my father's suggestion.

"My mother said she's nothing but a beggar" continued the leader "and beggars are no better than garbage. Just because she can play an instrument doesn't make her special. She's still nothing more than a nothing."

I couldn't believe this kids attitude, that he truly saw nothing wrong with what he was saying.

"Now see here you little..." my father began, but before he got any farther the boys ran away, laughing and sticking there tongues out as they went.

Silence fell over the crowed again. No one moved, no one made a sound, then slowly people started to leave, the crowd thinned. I couldn't believe these people. I looked back towards Miss Angel to see she was still on the ground crouching. Before I could stop myself, before I could even think about what I was about to do, I was moving towards her. I wanted to reach out and hold her, but I didn't. Instead I asked

"Are you alright?" What a stupid question that was, of course she wasn't alright; she just had a group of kids throw rocks at her and call her a freak. She looked up at me at the sound of my voice. Her eyes widened with fear as she locked them with mine, tears slid down her cheeks. I could just make out the trembling of her shoulders. I reached towards her, unable to stop myself. I wanted to comfort her, to make her feel safe, what I got was the opposite. Her eyes widened even more, the blood drained from her face as she gasped softly and shot back, trying to get as far from me as possible. She was scared of me, absolutely terrified. To say it didn't hurt would be a lie; I felt a small sting to my heart at knowing she feared me. I tried again.

"Your arm is bleeding, if you want I can help you clean it" I offered, again moving a little closer. She recoiled from me like I was a snake about to pounce, hugging her legs to herself, and drawing them into a tight ball while viciously shaking her head back and forth indicating a clear no. I didn't know what to do, I wanted to move closer, to show her I was a friend, but with the way she recoiled from me told me I was the last person she wanted help from. If it wasn't for my mother intervening I probably would have knelt there all day just staring at her. My mother came up from behind me and bent down to Angel's level, softly brushing her hair out of her face. It was only now that I realized that the crowd of onlookers had stopped leaving in order to watch the display, I inwardly sneered in disgust.

"Now now dear, please don't cry. Come on; let me have a look at you." Gently, she examined her arms, while Angel carefully examined her. Although, I swear I saw her glance at me every few seconds as if to make sure I hadn't moved any closer. My mother took out of her purse a handkerchief and began to clean the dirt off her arms and then wrap up the cut that was still bleeding. Once finished with that she pulled her up to her feet, brushing the dirt from her gown. "There, that's better" she said with a small smile, gently wiping the remaining tears off of her face. Next was my father that passed me, grabbing the fallen violin and handing it to her. She hesitantly grabbed it from him, nodding her thanks, and then hugged it to her chest like it was her child.

"Are you alright" my father asked, repeating my earlier question.

Angel just looked at him, appraising him; slowly she nodded her head while backing up a little more until her back was pressed into the stone wall behind her.

I wish she would have let me get that close, but all I could do was stand helplessly on the sidelines and watch.

"You play beautifully" my father added, he was speaking very gently with her, as if he was afraid of breaking her. There was a slight twitch to her lips as she nodded again in acknowledgment.

"My name is Edward Mason, and this is my wife, Clara Mason." He then turned and indicated to me. "Over there is my son Edward Jr." he turned back to her and continued "my wife has told me a lot about you, she says you are a wonderful player, and I have to agree with her." Again, she nodded in reply.

My father hesitated, something he rarely does I might add, but then seemed to come to a decision. Clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders he said "I was wondering if you would like to do private performances at my house. It would please us greatly if you would give us the honor of listening to you. Also, my wife is hosting a ball in a few short months and I believe you would make a lovely addition to the orchestra we plan on hiring" Miss Angels expression was a mix between disbelief and apprehension. She began to lightly gnaw on her lower lip, once again glancing up at me. I began to speak again, to try to show her I meant her no harm.

"Please except my father's offer, it would be a delight to have you in our home. If I have offended you in some way I sincerely apologize, I didn't mean to frighten you. I only wanted to help…please forgive me" I pleaded with her, begging her with my eyes to believe me.

She stared intently into them, obviously trying to find something, what I didn't know. Then she cast her eyes back to the ground, moving them from here and there not focusing on anything for too long. Her shoulders hunched a little, she looked back to my father, then to my mother, back to me, then back to the floor. Her lips pouted with indecision. Then she looked back at me, really looking at me. Her eyes sparkled in the sun, the honey brown a glow of thought and feeling. At last she seemed to come to a decision. She nodded curtly, indicating she accepted my father's offer.

"Would starting tomorrow work well for you" my mother asked, excitement barely being concealed in her voice. Again she nodded, still not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Perfect, now that that's settled, I will have my son pick you up tomorrow after your show here and bring you to our estate, he will then take you home once finished." My father indicated. Miss Angel did not take that bit of news to well, immediately the fear was back in her eyes, wildly she started shaking her head no again, the panic all too clear.

Father furrowed his eyes in confusion

"How else will you find where we live?" he asked "and as for walking you home it is no trouble at all, I can't have a young lady such as yourself walking the streets at such a late hour alone, it's just not right, and Edward doesn't mind, do you son?"

"Of course not" I replied instantly,

"And of course" he continued "I will be paying you for your services. I am an honest man and have no intention of cheating others."

Miss Angel looked around helplessly, trying desperately to find a reason to refuse our offer obviously, though I'm not sure why. Her lips started to move, as if she was about to speak, I held my breath, but to no avail. She tightly clamped down, sighing in defeat and then nodding at him once more.

"Splendid, so tomorrow?" he asked again to make sure.

She nodded again, and then slid down to her knees to retrieve her case. Gently, she placed the violin in its spot, closed it, and then rose back to her feet.

"I'm guessing you're leaving now then" I asked, it was no wonder, after what just happened I would leave too. She nodded again in my direction, then giving us a tight smile, she curtsied and ran off. And when I mean run, I mean run. It was a surprise to see something with such short legs move so quick through the cluster of people. It hit me then. Like a ton of bricks. Miss Angel would be performing at my house…tomorrow! My heart began to race; I could feel my hands start to get warmer as my mind went wild. She would be at my house. My house! What in God's name was I to do!

"Well..." my mother said in a sing song voice "I suppose we should leave, I need to get back to the house to begin preparations for dinner" and with that they both turned around and started to walk the way we had came. Turning to look over her shoulder she said to me "coming Edward?"

And all I could do was follow. Thinking about the situation I didn't know if I should be happy with my father for giving me the opportunity to get to know her, or be beyond angry with him for putting me in a situation where I had no idea what was going to happen.

Simple to say, I did not get any sleep that night.

**Authors note: I know this took me awhile…im sorry. I misjudged my school deadlines and wasn't able to post anything till today. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you think. **


End file.
